I love sushi.

That said, with a family of 6 going out for sushi can be pricy.

Making sushi at home is something we have started doing more and more, but we are not experts around here by any means, and I am actually not very great at rolling it, so I don’t.

My 15 year old daughter is actually really good at rolling sushi, but can’t often be convinced since it is a bit time consuming to cut the ingredients and roll up enough sushi for 6 people.

So, the other day when I was craving sushi but didn’t want to bother the teenager, I decide to use one of my favorite food hacks and make little sushi cups using a muffin tin.

This way we could get all the good stuff from sushi, all together in a cute little cup, without having to roll anything. I also didn’t have to bribe one of my kids to help, or go broke ordering take out.

I mean sushi burritos are thing now, so I guess this is like a sushi burrito, meets regular sushi rolls love child?!?!? Maybe that’s a stretch but its somewhere in between the two.

I honestly have yet to try a sushi burrito because it just seem like too much. I like that sushi is small and bite sized and every bite is something exciting. So the appeal of a giant sushi burrito is lost on me. But if you love them, then by all means, eat those sushi burritos right up!

These cups are obviously bigger than a sushi roll, but way smaller than a burrito, so some happy medium that I am very satisfied with.

They are still single serving, can still be dipped in soy, or extra yum yum sauce, and will hold up the next day for your lunch box or leftover dinner.

You could also make smaller versions of these cups using a mini muffin tin and smaller pieces of nori, making some pretty cute party appetizer if you are also horrible at rolling sushi or do not have the tools required to roll it, like a sushi rolling mat!

These tofu vegan sushi cup are really easy to make, require little actual cooking, are light, but filling and delicious.

Feel free to swap out other veggies if you are not a fan of carrots or cucumbers. Those just happen to be our families agreed upon sushi faves.

The tofu requires no cooking but soaks up the marinade and has a little kick of spice that is extra delicious.

If you have a rice cooker than this recipe is so super easy. If not, just follow the stove stop directions on your package of sushi rice. Either way, waiting for the rice to cook is honestly the hardest part of this recipe!

And those are my favorite kind of recipes, easy and delicious!

*You will need a 12 cup muffin tin for this recipe

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups sushi rice
3 sheets nori
1/4 cup vegan panko crumbs
1/2 block super firm tofu ( the kind that is vacuum sealed in little water)
3 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoons Sriracha (optional)
1 small English cucumber, finely diced
1/2 cup matchstick carrots
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
furikake seasoning for topping

Vegan Yum Yum Sauce:

1/2 cup vegan mayo
1 tablespoon ketchup
1-2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons sugar or monk fruit sweetener
1 teaspoon paprika
a few tablespoons of water as needed to thin out the sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare rice according to package instructions. I use a rice cooker and it is the equivalent to 3 scoops of rice (the scoop that came with my cooker) and filling the water line to the 3. Once rice is done, allow it to cool enough that you can handle it with bare hands.
Drain the tofu. If using super firm there is no need to press the tofu. If using firm or extra firm you will need to press the tofu for 15 minutes to remove as much liquid as you can.
Dice the tofu into little 1/4 inch cubes. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and Sriracha in a medium sized bowl along with the tofu. Let it marinate for at least 15-20 minutes (the longer the better if you have more time)
Cut nori sheets into quarters. You will now have 12 squares of nori.
Press a square of nori into each muffin cup. Using a large cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out rice and press into each muffin cup on top of the nori sheet. Wet your hands (this helps the rice not stick to your hands so you can press it more easily) and press the rice to form a cup around the nori. Pop the muffin tin in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Take them out and carefully remove the rice and nori cups from the muffin tin.
Add about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese to the bottom of each cup and spread it out using the back of a spoon.
Dived the cucumber, carrots, and tofu (marinade drained first) evenly among the cups. I like to do this in little rows.
Mix the ingredients for the yum yum sauce in a bowl. Make sure you have added enough water that it will drizzle over the cups. Drizzle the sauce over each cup.
Sprinkle with panko.
Top with a good shake of furikake or you can sprinkle with dulse flakes and sesame seeds to serve.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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